Is there a "good" time to switch accountants, and who does CUK recommend?

[ZARDOZ]

They tell you they pay your CT and the VAT so you transfer it to them instead if directly to HMRC and the file a 0 return without telling you.

Married accountant stole £500,000 to splash out on luxury gifts for blonde model mistress and wife | Daily Mail Online

More than that he took some of the money out of the HMRC corp tax account leaving the client liable to pay them back. So even some who paid HMRC direct were defrauded. There is no fool proof way to be 100% safe if not doing everything yourself, when you sign off for them to be your tax representative with HMRC a large element of trust is required.

[Fred Bloggs]

I wonder if his PII paid out? There hasbeen a few discussions lately about PII.

[SueEllen]

I wonder if his PII paid out? There hasbeen a few discussions lately about PII.

He committed criminal offences and PII doesn't cover criminal acts.

[ZARDOZ]

I wonder if his PII paid out? There hasbeen a few discussions lately about PII.

No, nor could liquidators provide any money. He did however pay some money back as condition of getting a reduced sentence.

Irony is he was once a name in one of these accountant recommendation threads. This is why I would be cautious, DYOR etc.

[SueEllen]

Remember he started an investment scheme as well without a licence and had to pay all that money back as well plus his fines.

[ZARDOZ]

Remember he started an investment scheme as well without a licence and had to pay all that money back as well plus his fines.

I forgot about that, I think many got no money back from that and some of those were much larger than the corp tax losses.

[mudskipper]

Harsh, but fair. This can easily be avoided.

In this case, my accountant says "you owe HMRC - pay it to account 12345678". While it probably wouldn't cross my mind that they are trying to fleece me, when I make the transfer, I'm going to look up "how to pay corporation tax" and pay to those details. I'll also check my HMRC account to see that it's been received and that nothing is owed.

Personally, I'm not trusting anyone else with access to my bank account. I'm not paying any bill worth thousands unless I'm absolutely sure I know who the recipient is.

This is beside the point anyway - why should HMRC foot the bill for someone's crime? It's a tulip situation, and I do have sympathy with the victims of fraud. But HMRC aren't a compensation scheme for them.

AIUI, many people paid their corp tax direct to HMRC. He then submitted a correction saying they didn't owe the corp tax, and got it refunded to his own account. It could have happened to any of us.

[SueEllen]

I forgot about that, I think many got no money back from that and some of those were much larger than the corp tax losses.

Yep.

He was stealing from contractors to pay of this and to keep his mistress. Luckily for him his wife was otherwise occupied being pregnant and then having their first kid.

[ZARDOZ]

AIUI, many people paid their corp tax direct to HMRC. He then submitted a correction saying they didn't owe the corp tax, and got it refunded to his own account. It could have happened to any of us.

Something like that, and he asked HMRC to make the refund to the client's Ltd bank giving their Ltd name but his bank details. HMRC didn't/ don't cross check Co name with bank details and as long as there is an acc number and sort code it matters not what the name is to clear. He could give such an instruction without the client's knowledge because he had permision to act as an agent with HMRC. That permision also absolves HMRC of blame.

[AtW]

AIUI, many people paid their corp tax direct to HMRC. He then submitted a correction saying they didn't owe the corp tax, and got it refunded to his own account. It could have happened to any of us.

Refunding to different account from the one money were received was totally wrong thing to do by HMRC - from money laundering perspective too, crazy that they did it.